You’ve probably shared printers among your network with Windows File and Printer Sharing. However, did you know it’s possible to access shared printers from the Internet? Windows XP Professional and Vista Business/Ultimate let you host printers over the Internet, and any Windows version can access it.
Here’s how to set up and use Internet Printing Protocol (IPP):
- Install the Internet Information Services (IIS) Windows component.
- Open port 80 on the personal firewall.
- Test by typing http://localhost/printers into a browser on the computer attached to the printer, and enter an Administrators username and password.
- Configure your network router to forward port 80 to the host computer’s IP address.
- Configure another laptop or PC with the shared printer by going to http://x.x.x.x/printers (where x.x.x.x equals your Internet IP address) and clicking Connect on the desired printer’s page.
